They are calling for the closure of a hunting reserve after finding two dead kites.
The organization notes that evidence of poisoning was found in the animals.
PalmSEO BirdLife has requested that the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Council) suspend hunting activity in a hunting reserve in Santanyí following the discovery of two dead red kites. According to the organization, environmental agents found the birds because one was wearing a tracking transmitter. Nearby, they found remains of pigeons, which had been used as poisoned bait. Toxicological analyses carried out by the Institute of Hunting Resources determined that both the kites and the bait contained aldicarb, a highly toxic substance. This request from SEO BirdLife comes in addition to a formal complaint filed with the Balearic Islands Prosecutor's Office requesting the opening of a criminal investigation due to "indications of a deliberate act and the use of illegal wildlife control methods." The request to the island council includes the immediate and precautionary suspension of hunting activities in this reserve for a period that covers at least the complete breeding cycle of the species.
They also demand intensive surveys for the removal of baits and the complete decontamination of the area, as well as increased monitoring of the birds using GPS devices and banding. The organization pointed out that this temporary ban is compatible with authorizing specific wildlife controls in the event of proven damage to crops or livestock, always under the conditions and guarantees determined by the competent authority, so as not to compromise the recovery of the birds of prey.
"The precautionary suspension is not a preemptive sanction, but an essential measure to facilitate the decontamination of the area, remove any remaining baits, and guarantee the survival of the species during its reproductive cycle," they explained.
